Auxiliary fluid-supply tank



G. N. MILLER.

AUTOMATIC AUXILIARY FLUID SUPPLY TANK.

APPUCATION FILED MAR. 4, 919. [325,649. Patented Dec. 23,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

AUTOMATIC AUXILIARY FLUID SUPPLV TANK.

APPLICMIQN FILED MAR, 4, I9l9.

Patented Dec. 23,1919.

IZSHEETS-SHEET 2. g-yaw r aw amvewroz gummlkr GEORGE N. MILIJER, or

PATENT one-ion.

SOUTH BEND. INDIANA.

fAUroMArIc AUXILIARY FLUID-SUPPLY TANK.

Specification o fLett r Paten I Patented Dec. 23,1919.-

Appiication filed March 1919. Serial No. 280,575.

To all "(Pit out it may concern:

Be it known that I', GEORGE N. Mitten, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at South Bend. in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Auxiliary l luid-Supp'ly Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of the invention is the provision. of an auxiliary supply tank for fluid Such'as fuel gasolen-e' for an explosive motor, in which a relatively,small quantity of fluid is autonuitically trapped and stored for use-only in case 01 anemergency as the occasion may arise. V

A further object. of the invention is the provision of an auxiliary gasoiene tank for motorrehicles that is small iirsize and light. in weight, the same being adily installed in the fuel supply line of. Jar without in any maimeriatfeeting the usual llow of explosirel nixtnre from the tank ,to thecar- ,bureter. f v I The inventionHbroadlycontemplates an auxiliary@astilehe storage tank positioned readily accessible -frotn the drivers seat of an automobile, initial filling, of tliet'uel tank of the vehicle serving to' fill the auxiliary tank with i'uel and operate. atrappinp, device therein which permit the gasolene from the main tank to tlowth'rough the auxiliary tank unobstructed to the carburetor but retains.

the trapped gasolenc in he auxiliary tank .until the same isnntnua'gly released by the bile chassis illustrating my invention in-' stalled uponthe gasolenc pipe line thereof,

Fig. :2 is a vertical loi'igitndnial sectional viewthrough theinvention with the gasoleno inlet, piperemoved and theontlet pipe to the carburetor broken away and Fig. 3 is a further illustratlon of my n vent ion in which a slightly modified form of auxiliary tank is employed with a. fuel suppl gage associated therewith.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, I have illustrated anautomobile chassis 10 in Fig. l thereo't, provided with aframe 11, wheels 13. motor 13, and radiator ll. The main supply tank 1.3 for the gas-clone is conveniently positioned at any point thereon and may be of either the gravity feed or siphon l'eedtype. the latter heing herein consists of a tube It, leading from the main tank 15and adapted to supply gasolcne to the carhnrcter 1T eomuiunicating with the interior of the motor lit by means ofthe. intake manifold 19 in the usual manner.

My improved automati auxiliarytank consistsota relatively small receptacle or casing 19 prefera ly stamped out of pressed steel or formed o'l' cast metal if desired and located at a point conveniently accessible by the driver of the vehicle when seated adjacent-the steering wheel '20 and-the clutch and brake levers 21 and '22 respectively; i 1v auxiliary tank 19 herein"illustrated slightly in the rear of the motor l? and. coir \"eniently positioned wherever desired ,has a depending: drain basin or portion :23 into which the e'z tsolene tube or pipe it) communicatc through any desired form of nipple or connection such as 24. ..\L drain-oti cock is also provided for the basin operable in the usual manner for witlulrawing an sediment or contents of the basin 23 whenever desired.

tube 16 leads from the outiet nipple 26 of the tank in to the carlnn'eter, 17, it being understood that thegasolene from the tank 15 normally passes to the carburetor 1'1 through ,the pipe line lti, 16- and freely passes through'the casing 19 under, normal running conditions. v

A tubular post 27 within the tank 19 is .mounted over the outlet nipple 26ffor nor-' mally receiving the gasolene from the casing 19 through an upper opening :28 in the post for flowing downwardly through the post and outlet 26 into the pipe 16'.

A lower opening or port; 28 is provided in the post 97 normallyclosed by means of a. valve 29 upon the depending arm 30 of a rocker 31 pivoted by means of a pin 32 in the top of the post 27.

A float 33 upon the longer arm of the.

illustrated. The pipe line for the gasolene rocker 31 is ada ted to be elevated by the incoming gasole e when the auxiliary tank 19 is being filled, this elevating of the float 33 bringingthe valve 29 in its closing position over the outlet port'28'. A resilient rod 34: mounted upon the float 33 projects upwardly'-through a tube 35 upon the top 36 of thecasing 19, the said rod projecting through a slot 37 m the upper end of the 10 tube and providedwith a side lug 38 for fitting over the side of the tube or a side lip 39 thereof for maintaining the rod 34 projected and the fioat 33 elevated when the level of the gasolene within the casing 19 becomes lowered.

The casing '19-will' remain normally filled with gasolene passing) therethrough between the, lpes 16 and 16 ut upon the emptying of tlie main" tank 15, the'infl'owing-supply 2Q from the pipe '16 will cease so that thegasohim in the casing 19 will lower to a int just below'the port 28-as illustrated in ig. 2

of the drawings. No further gasolene will then be supplied to the. carbureter :17 until the operator forcibly removes the-lug 38 from the lip 39, permitting the rod 34 and float 33 to lower thereby swingingthe valve 29 off of the outlet port 28- .so that the supply of gasolene the auxiliary tank I 80 is then permitted'tol pass to the carbureter -17 through thevpipe; .16, A. ball40. or

similar member is referably provided upon the upper end of -t e rod'34'for convenience, in grasping in disconnecting the. lug .38;

36 Upon refilhn the auxiliary tank 19, it willbe understoo that the rising of the gas'olene a ain automatically elevates the goat 33 and c oses the port 28' whilethe-r siliency of the rod 34 permits the lug-38 to snap over 40 the'lip 39, retaining the ielements in their said positions as heretofore set forth.

The auxiliary tank IQ-inay' have the tube 35 thereof extending above'the level of the top of the main tank 15 if desired and while 46 the form of the invention herein set .forth and described is believed to be preferable, it will nevertheless be understood that .minor changes-may be made in the form, proportion and detail-oflparts if found desirable 60 without departing from the spirit and scoIpe of my invention as claimed.

n Fig. 3. of the drawings, I have illustrated an auxiliary tank 41 having a basin 42 provided with an outlet nipple 43 and a 65 gasolene inlet ipe 44. The tubular post 4:5 has a rocking ever 46 for normally closing a port 47 adjacent the bottom of the device by means of a float 48 carried by said lever and operated bythe rise of gasolene within 60 the-tank. The outlet pipe 49 communicates with the interior of the post while a rod 50 upon the float 48 extends through a tube 51 upon the top 52 of thecasing 41 and has a lug 53 adapted for automatically engaging over a side lip 54: at the top of the tube 51 when the float 48 is elevated by the fluid.

A dial 55 may be provided at a convenient point adjacent the tank 41 having its indieating finger 56' operativelyconnected with a rod 57 which extends through the tube 51 to a float 58 at all times resting upon the surface of the gasolene in the tank 41 and whereby the quantity of gasolene therein is. readily ascertained by viewing'the dial 55.

' A serviceable auxiliary tank is provided which will supply a sufficient amount of gasolene to permit the vehicle to travel a predetermined distance after the main gaso lene tank has been emptied. The device may be readily installed upon the pipeline of any explosive motor by only slight-expense while it will also be understood-that the invention may be serviceablefiniother connections where afsupply of fluid is desir- 85, able for meeting an 'emergencyi but without in any manner effecting the usual free operation of the pipe line employed.

What I claim, as new is:

1.- A fluid auxiliary tank comprising a casing havin an inlet and an outlet, a 'co nduit within t e casing communicating-With the outlet thereof and provided with at different elevations, means adapted for automatically closing one of said ports during the filling of the casingwith fluid, automatically operable retaining means attached to said port-closing means adapted for actuation upon the closin of the port, and manual releasing means or the retain' mg means.

2. An auxiliary fluid supply member com- "prising a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a tubular member within the casing communicating with said outlet and having upper and lower ports, float-operated means within the casing adapted for closing the lower port when the level of fluid within the casing is above the lower port, and automatic retaining means for the said float-operated means when the latter is in'its operative closed position, the retaining means being adapted for manual release for openin the lowerport when the level of the flui within the casing falls below the upper port.

3. An auxiliary supply tank for fluid comprising a casing having inlet and outlet nipples, a tubular post within the casing communicating with theoutletnipple and having an upper and alo'wer port therein, a rocker pivoted within the casing having a. valve adapted fon', opening and closing the lower port, a float attached to the rocker adapted for shifting the latter with the val closing the lower port when 'enterin fluid substantially fills the said casing, an retaining means for the 'rocker extending exteriorly ofthe casing.

4. An auxiliary supply tank for fluid comprising 2i having inlet and outlet iii ples, a tubular past VViiT-ilil'l 11m casing 20mmunicating with the ouolct nipple having an upper and a lower paw threw-in, rocker pivoted Within the casing having it valve aptsad for apening and closing the iower .1-0?? a 10m attached to, the rocker adapted for shifting: the latte Wifl'i the "valve closing the lower port when eniei'ing;

fluid sub tantiafly fills the said casing, a rod cm'iied by Jim float extending exterimiy of the, casing, a hlg upon the rod, and means an] engagement by the mg for retainiz the rod and float elevated when the is closing said 10we1' port.

A11 auxiliary supply tank-for fluid comprising a casing having inlet and outlet nipples, a tubular post within the casing com.- municating with the outiet nipple and hUW- casing adapted for mmnmming an llf -fil and a lower port flmzein, lQL'kE'L' pivr ml With 11' the casing having "valve adapted 02? o gening *md :105. U lower pot- 3, a fwat azimuth to this wcker adapted f0 shifting; the isitzei' Wii'i J m waive closmg him iow er part whim fluid substantiaily fills the, aaid c2151 tube upon the $01) 9f the casing rod upon 5 float extending tube and eutxmrdiy of in: upper of, :1 111g upon said rm} u ihipiig', muticaiiy eng: "g m =1, of the iube Whm "she flozii; the valve in. its (.iQSQi pesitian, engaging membei' upon the. ugspei' and rod Mluptud for releasing the and per mitting the lmvering of the 2111(1 tha opening of said lower port In iTQSEHHOIlY whereof i a; 

